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Asaba Massacre: How Hundreds of Asaba People Were Killed In 1967

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Background

On the 27th of May, 1967, General Yakubu Gowon promulgated decree number 14 which created 12 states (six in the north and six in the south) out of the former four regions in Nigeria. Governor of the Eastern Region, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, saw this creation of states (without consultation) as a breach of the 1967 Aburi Accord.

This rubbed salt to the political and ethnic wounds the country has been nursing long before independence. Following the creation of states, Col. Ojukwu considered the seven-point resolution of the Eastern Assembly and the Advising Committee of Chiefs and Elders which mandated him to declare the secession of the Eastern Region from the Federal Republic of Nigeria…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Eventually, on the 30th of May, 1967, Col. Ojukwu declared the independent Republic of Biafra and this immediately set the stage for war, the Nigerian civil war.

Nigerian Troops In Asaba In 1967
Nigerian troops at Asaba in 1967

How The Asaba Massacre Happened

It was during the Nigerian civil war, also known as the Biafran war, that the Asaba massacre was perpetrated. This was from the 5th to 7th of October 1967.

In August 1967, two months before the Asaba massacre, a division of the seceded Eastern Region (Biafra) army led by Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Banjo occupied Benin in the Midwestern Region of Nigeria.

The Biafran army (also called Liberation Army) wanted to use Benin as a launching ground for the invasion of Ibadan and Lagos but unfortunately for them, the proposed invasion failed due to reasons connected to the newly promoted Lieutenant Banjo. Lieutenant Banjo wanted to secure Benin in good hands before proceeding to Ibadan so he would not be suddenly cut off from Biafra. (Ademoyega 1981)

Lieutenant victor banjo
Lieutenant Victor Banjo

Banjo’s failure gave the Federal (Nigerian) troops an opportunity to recapture Benin and drive Biafran army out. They chased the Biafran army into Asaba and then into Onitsha. After the Biafran army crossed into Onitsha, they blew up a part of the Onitsha bridge making it impossible for the Federal troops to continue the chase. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

It was at this point that the people of Asaba met their ill fate. The Nigerian army second division led by Col. Murtala Muhammed turned back to Asaba and killed many people, ransacked their houses and perpetrated other war crimes on the claim that the victims were Biafran sympathizers. This happened on the 5th of October, 1967.

Asaba Massacre of 1967
Map showing the movement of the Nigerian and Biafran troops

Knowing things could go worse, on the 7th of October, two days after the federal troops arrived in Asaba, the people of Asaba organized a dance to show their support for One Nigeria. Men and women, boys and girls all danced in their Akwa Ocha (white) attire and repeatedly showed the intention of the dance.

Unfortunately, the federal troops turned the dance into a bloody one. They separated men from women and killed the men. Many sources have it that the troops led by Col. Murtala Muhammed and Col. Ibrahim Taiwo oversaw the aspect of adult male killings.

Asaba Massacre of 1967
Mural depicting the Asaba massacre. October 7, 1967 | Cheta Nwanze

Asaba stank with blood and dead bodies which were later pilled up and buried in a mass grave. None of the dead could be given a proper burial with necessary funeral rites. Up to 1000 people lost their lives in the Asaba massacre. A source claimed that younger girls were raped and the recalcitrant ones were shot dead.

A video which documented the Asaba Massacre of 1967 showed one of the lucky survivors, Patience Chukwura who was then a young mother pregnant with her fourth child as she narrated how her husband, Eddie, was killed. Her father-in-law and two brothers-in-law were also murdered in cold blood.

Many citizens of Asaba fled their homes and did not return until the Nigerian civil war ended in 1970. Below is a video documenting the Asaba massacre by S. Elizabeth Bird and Fraser Ottanelli in 2013. In this video, witnesses of the Asaba massacre recounted their horrible experiences and losses.

 

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METRO

Racist Cops Handcuff Black Female General, Her Call to Pentagon Destroyed Their Careers –

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The handcuffs clicked shut with a sound like a gunshot in the quiet street.

“You’re resisting arrest,” the cop snarled, twisting the Black woman’s arm behind her back.

Bystanders gasped as she was forced onto the hood of the cruiser, her military-sharp posture never faltering.

Then, in a voice like steel, she said, “You have no idea who you just handcuffed. But in 20 minutes, these two officers would beg for their careers back.”

And in an hour, the Pentagon would make sure they never wore a badge again.

General Naomi Carter was used to command, not compliance.

A decorated war strategist, she had just returned from a classified overseas mission and was on her way to debrief at the Pentagon when she stopped for coffee…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

She had spent her life fighting battles—just not the kind where the enemy wore a blue uniform.

The cops had been watching her since she stepped out of her car.

“Suspicious vehicle,” one muttered, eyeing her luxury sedan.

When she questioned their unnecessary stop, they escalated.

“You fit a description.”

Then came the cuffs, the shove, the condescending smirk.

That’s when Naomi stopped being just a citizen.

“Let me make a call,” she demanded.

The taller cop laughed. “You ain’t calling nobody.”

But Naomi had memorized emergency protocols better than they’d memorized their own badges.

With her hands restrained, she recited a series of numbers to a horrified bystander. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“Dial it now.”

The phone rang twice before a voice answered: “Pentagon secure line.”

The cops froze. Then came the words that turned their blood to ice.

“This is General Carter. Badge numbers 4,872 and 5,193 just detained me unlawfully. I need immediate confirmation of their authority.”

For the first time, doubt flickered in the officer’s eyes.

The dispatcher’s radio erupted with panic.

“All units, stand down. Stand down.”

Backup arrived, but not for them.

The chief’s voice cracked over the comms. “You just cuffed a Pentagon-level officer. God help you.”

Naomi stood straight as her cuffs were removed.

The cops stammered apologies, but she simply picked up the phone.

“Secretary, I want their records audited. Every stop. Every complaint.”

Then to the officers: “You targeted the wrong woman today.”

By sundown, the officers were suspended. By week’s end, charged.

And as Naomi walked into the Pentagon the next morning, the news played footage of their perp walk.

Proof that even generals in street clothes outrank prejudice.

 

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One of death row’s oldest inmates gave scathing final words before execution by lethal injection –

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Oscar Franklin Smith, a 75-year-old man who had been on death row for decades, was executed in Tennessee by lethal injection. He was found guilty of murdering his wife, Judith Robirds Smith, and her two teenage sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, back in 1989.

But even as he was about to die, Oscar kept saying he didn’t do it. He claimed he was innocent, and he never changed his story in all the years he spent in prison. Just before the execution, he spoke out strongly, criticizing the justice system and the governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee.

He said the system is broken and doesn’t always get it right. He believed that not only was he innocent, but that there are other men like him still sitting in prison, waiting to die for crimes they didn’t commit. He said the governor is foolish if he doesn’t see that. Oscar’s last words included the phrase “I didn’t kill her,” which he reportedly said several times before he died. He was declared dead at 10:47 a.m…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

Oscar had been given a temporary delay in 2022, when the governor called off the execution at the last minute. But that decision was reversed later, and the execution went ahead. Even though he had lived over three decades after the crime while maintaining his innocence, the courts and the state stood by the original conviction. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

After Oscar’s death, the family of the victims spoke to reporters. Judith’s sister, Terri Osborne, said losing her sister and two nephews had left a permanent wound. She said the pain of that loss will always stay with their family. No matter how much time passes, it still hurts deeply.

Terri also used the moment to talk about the issue of domestic violence. She said the murders are a tragic reminder of what can happen in abusive relationships. She wanted people who are in danger at home to know that they are not alone. She understood how hard it is to leave someone who is abusive, but she hoped this tragedy would push others to find safety and support. She also said she hopes more help and resources can be made available to people who are living in fear or dealing with abuse.

Her brother, Mike Robirds, also spoke. He said that no one should have to live the way their sister did — in fear. And no family should have to go through the heartbreak that they have endured. Their words were full of sadness, but also a message of hope for others who might still be suffering in silence.

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People in shock after hearing bizarre leaked audio from Trump’s new head of Social Security reacting to job offer –

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Frank Bisignano, a former executive from Wall Street, has just taken on a major role leading the Social Security Administration—a huge federal agency that handles benefits for over 70 million Americans. But it turns out he was just as surprised by the job offer as everyone else.

In a meeting with Social Security managers from across the country, held on May 21, Bisignano openly admitted that he hadn’t been looking for a new job and had no idea he was being considered for such a major government role. A recording of this meeting was leaked, and it’s left a lot of people both amused and concerned.

In the audio, Bisignano talks about how he got a phone call out of the blue about the Social Security job. He said he wasn’t job hunting at all, and once he heard about the position, he had to start Googling to figure out what exactly the commissioner of Social Security does. He even joked that he’s one of the best Googlers on the East Coast. At one point, he said something like, “What the heck is the commissioner of Social Security?” showing just how unexpected the appointment was for him…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Ironically, during that same meeting, he complained about people leaking information to the media—while the very meeting itself ended up getting leaked. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Despite the jokes and the lighthearted way he presented himself, many people online didn’t take it well. On social media, some users mocked him for appearing clueless about the job and accused the Trump administration of giving important positions to people who aren’t qualified. One person sarcastically said he must be relying on the “fake it till you make it” approach. Another commented that having actual experience seems to be a disqualifier when it comes to getting hired in the Trump team.

Others, however, defended Bisignano. Some argued that you don’t need a PhD or deep government experience to run the Social Security Administration. Instead, they pointed out that what the agency really needs is someone with real leadership experience—someone who knows how to run big organizations and get results. They said Bisignano fits that bill, having led billion-dollar companies and managed large teams.

All in all, Bisignano’s surprise and honesty about not knowing much about the job have drawn mixed reactions. While some people think it’s refreshing or even funny, others are worried that such an important agency is being led by someone who admits he had to Google what the job even is.

 

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